The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-20
sUGGEsrIoNs FOR THE CONVENTION,
Wherein Lies safety for the Interests
I~nyolyed-A Veterans Views.

''h'' 'fa h1N 1919 49,
carefully read in every part of the Union
The convention meets TO inquire into the de-
cline Of the steamboat business on the Mis-
sissippi river and its tributaries, and to sug-
gcst means TO restore it TO its former great
ness, Importance and prosperity. An AP-
PEAL reporter met, yesterday, a gentleman,
of Vicksburg, Miss, who has been connected
with the improvement Of waterways for
over thirty-fiye years, seventeen Of which
were on the Mississippi, and to be sure he
knows a great deal Of the emergency and re-
lief. Speaking of the convention and its
prospective results, the gentleman re-
marked:
There Is an impression that the decline is
caused by Congress negleCting to appropriate
money for the improvement Of the water
ways. Congress has been liberal with the
exception OF the present year; ii has appro-
priatcd for the past twelve years over ~ 900
00) n year for the lower Mississippi and
very generously for its tributaries, aud today,
with the exception Of the mouth Of Red and
IaZoO rivers, were the waterways in such
splendid nayigablc condition one hundred
times tao tonnage could he carried without
n single dollar expended by Congress
"Where, then, lies the cause Of the de-
clineg'
THE fault is with the river men. The
world moves, but what change have we seen
in n Mississippi river steamboat during the
last twenty years. The river men do not
give the public the dispatch and
dntion they have n right TO expect, and the
railroads have stepped in aud succeeded IN
driving the steamboats, 10 the bank. Look
at the vim, grit and enterprise the railroads
show. In the boldness Of their projects, In
the swiftncss of their execution, in their
cunning and invention for the saving Of la
bor, aud their %promptness and dispatch in
carrying passengers and freight they stand
without a rival. Let us take two passengers
leaving ~. Louis for New Orleans. One goes
by rail; he indss comfortable waiting-room,
steps on board q sleeper, aud In twenty-four
hours Is in New Orleans. The other find q
steamboat advertised TO leave at 8 O'Clock.
lie dodges his way over the stage at risk Of
life and limb, and, after waiting two or three
hours, he finds the boat will not he loaded
before next evening. He tries next evening,
and about = o'clock they pull out and drop
down 10 coal up. Again they get under way,
but stop about every ten miles TO drop a lit
tie freight or pick up a passenger. At Cairo
they lay up until the train gets
in, aud then move down the
river. first one side and then the
other, until we are opposite the hills above
Natchez. We see n pine torch violently way-
ing; we turn slowly round, drift about n mile
down the river, then come slowly up, put
out n gang plank aud take on board our old
friend Rip Van Wrinkle. lie shakes hand
with the same kind hearted old captain,
meets the same old mate. takes his drink nj
the same old bar, l. shaved by the same old
barber, and they hand him a paper about
the date he went 10 sleep, twenty years ago.
Rip feels himself entirely at home on a Mis-
siseiTpi steamboat. Six days oUt. and We
arrive ut New Orleans, or the same time II
N.l.a a.. gr.aa tie Atlantic u..uV NfI.t
should we think OF n milrond company that
should build a freight car In front Of the 10.
connective, n cattle ear behind and a passcn.
ger coach on top, and after loading up take
on board the depot. station master, clerk.
aud portcrs aud be fourteen days In making
the round trip from ~. Louis To New Or
leans? The A. J. White, the pride Of the
Mississippi, was the last Of her class, for M
other will be built that will pay the cost OF
her coal BILL
, "What should be the leading question with
the convention in its dclibcmtiOnsg'
THE question for the convention To con.
! slider Is, can the steamboats, compete with
the railroads In carrying passengers and
freight Undoubtedly they cannot. tn,
railroads are constantly giving " increase,
accommodation, and Il will only be a shorI
time before the STEAMBOATS, will be- entirely
. driven frpm the rivers. II costs the steam
boats more Ia carry freight 100 yards NJ and
down the river banks than Il does Ia carry
IL 90 miles on land. See the railroad com
, pany NJ Delta load q steamboat. 4 loadci
train ~ ten fright Cafs. weighing 10 tons
, il run on a. the boat. taken ncr1s- the river
, aud gone over inO miles before a steam boa.
would unload the cars aud place the frcigh.
on the boat. The freight Tor steamboat. q
now limited Ia what can be- hauled over hnt
, roads Ia the banks Of the river. What !, Il
, hinder the construction ot a cheap line %
, uilrlad running from all suitable landing
u into the interior uf the country twenty n
thirty miles. the freight collected on ears an,
b, run direct ON Ia railroad h1rcs and Cunycyc,
b. NJ q slight expense 10y tur.huat Ia amy par
~ the river, and, " necessary, sent Ia an,
part ~ the country over milnlad. withuu
u unloading and thus convert the river int,
n grand trunk milpad, carrying
morc milruad ears than any railroad In 10.
, country, aud Nc a much cheaper rate thai
4 they could do ~ A milruad barge cpul,
carry ten ears containing ~ tons III freight
and % tDw.hunt can tow six hargrs containing
i,2pp tons ~ freight J. then any cumpgtinl
milrunl with the river that can carry thns.
sixty Cnr from s. Louis ~ New Orleans q
! onc.hllf the priccit can be done 10y the tow
\ buasg'
d "lIow can this proposition be applied &
local freight
"As 10 local freight. IN England they hay.
lookup road wagons, which nrc loaded q
D the siorrs. hauled 10 the railroad. the wagon
placed un Hat ears and sUut direct ~ thI
e purchaser. Why cannot nur merchant
= have thol' wagons, load them nt the store
, place them pa huuevs aud send tu their Gus
% TONERS who will return them filled will
/ country products Tor market Scr the sy
Ing II would be- IN the oil.mills. At prcscn
. they send out sacks which nuc filled an,
/, tied nt the clubhouse. then carried 10 thl
WAGON. hauled to the bank uf the river
4 again lifted and placed IN the bauk IN Wal
Tor u Steamboat once met q gentleman q
= n landing. who said half his life had beef
I spent whiting for steam. boats. Again thI
I seed u lifted aud placed on boats, on land
ing At the wharf. II j. again lifted and place,
on the bank; again 10 u, liiicd aud placed ~
7 draws again 10 l. lifted aud placed In thI
!, sturc-housc, again Il Il lifted 10 empty out %
: the sacks From the gin 10 the warchous,
, sacks are handled eight times, by the roa,
7 wagon II would be handled only twicc-a
the gtn aud warehouse
What nC the prospects for steamers, u
: the way II passenger TRAILER
Can steamboats, compete with the rail
: roads Tor the passenger trader In spcct
. they cannot, Ia comfort and luxury the,
can surpass them, hut the public will NO
travel On q freight train, or even on n freight
boat. ~ thc steamboats, have found out lei
! the river men furnish passenger hargcs, rur
promptly on time, ~ the hargcs with ever
luxury. and the public will pay Tor H. SCI
? how Pullman has made 10 profitable will
: his sleeper, The lower deck could be fitted
up fnr business purposes, M that amy mcr
. chant Who desired could hCyc slmplc-room'
IL. aud exhibit his goods ~ the asrnrcrs, thu
. converting the lower deck into n small mcr
camille city, on the upper deck have n H.
b ] tHaFV Ntt.f With hnYta nal ali fhp latest